An academic, medical, or scientific degree was a distinctive honor conferred by institutions of higher academics, given as the result of successfully completing a program of study.
In 1986, Doctor Leonard McCoy and another physician got into a disagreement while arguing the proper medical procedure to use to heal Pavel Chekov. When McCoy identified it as a tear in the middle meningeal artery, the opposing doctor, who disagreed with the assessment, inquired to McCoy, "What's your degree in, dentistry?" (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
As of 2154, Doctor Phlox held a dozen scientific degrees. They included six degrees in interspecies veterinary medicine, as well as degrees in the fields of medicine, dentistry, hematology, and botanical pharmacology. (ENT: "Doctor's Orders", "A Night in Sickbay")
According to Flint, as of 2269, Rayna Kapec possessed the equivalent of seventeen university degrees in the sciences and arts. (TOS: "Requiem for Methuselah")
As of 2364, Kurt Mandl held advanced degrees in computer science and artificial intelligence. (TNG: "Home Soil")
After Deanna Troi lost her empathic abilities in 2367, Dr. Crusher suggested Troi talk to someone, noting that there were "several people on board who have degrees in psychology, who are qualified therapists." A while later, she was visited by William T. Riker who came to her quarters, walked in and stated to Troi, "I don't have a psychology degree, but if you want to talk...", as his way of being a friend. (TNG: "The Loss")
Following Jean-Luc Picard's inadvertent age-reversion, and fearing he would lose his command, Deanna Troi suggested that he could perhaps return to Starfleet Academy and take up another degree or even brush up on his Latin. (TNG: "Rascals")
Jadzia Dax earned numerous academic degrees prior to becoming joined with the Dax symbiont. As of 2369, she held Premier Distinctions in exobiology, zoology, astrophysics, and exoarchaeology. (DS9: "Dax")
When Kes became The Doctor's medical assistant, she informed him that if they ever returned to Federation space, she would like to explore the possibility of going to medical school. The Doctor assured her that, "If you continue to apply yourself as you have, by the time we get back, you may already have the equivalent of a medical degree." (VOY: "Eye of the Needle")
Mona Luvsitt, a character in the holoprogram Julian Bashir, Secret Agent, served as Julian Bashir's personal valet. She was programmed to speak seven languages, she possessed degrees in biology, chemistry, physics, she could fly anything from a jet to a helicopter, and above all, she could make an excellent martini. (DS9: "Our Man Bashir")
After Tuvok's cognitive, memory, and logic centers became severely damaged following a Ba'Neth attack in 2376, he was taken to sickbay where Neelix stated to The Doctor that he wanted to help. In response, The Doctor stated, "Unless you have a degree in Vulcan neurobiology that I'm not aware of, there's nothing you can do." (VOY: "Riddles")
See also[]
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Science
- Master of Science
- Doctor of Medicine
- Doctor of Philosophy
- List of academic disciplines